Towards eradicating TB from India’s tribal communities
- March 25, 2022
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Towards eradicating TB from India’s tribal communities
Subject: Governance
Section: Health
Context: Aashwasan campaign Launched in 2021 by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs
About Aashwasan campaign
- Aashwasan campaign Launched in 2021 by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Anamaya, Tribal Health Collaborative (an initiative of Piramal Foundation, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and USAID)
- The Tribal TB Initiative aims to improve care and support among tribal populations in India.
- The campaign fosters community engagement, forging partnerships with community-based organisations and community-influencers to influence behaviour change to reduce the burden of TB. It also works with the public health system to enhance screening and diagnosis, increase notification and complement government efforts.
Tuberculosis (TB)
- Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
- TB commonly affects the lungs (pulmonary TB) but can also affect other parts (extrapulmonary TB)
- Tuberculosis spreads from person to person through the air, when people who are infected with TB infection cough, sneeze or otherwise transmit respiratory fluids through the air.
- The most common risk factor associated with TB is HIV & other conditions that impair the immune system.
- Common symptoms of tuberculosis are Chronic cough with blood-tinged sputum, Loss of weight, Loss of appetite, Fever and night sweats, Fatigue , etc.
- TB Treatment : consists of four drugs:
- Isoniazid (INH),
- Rifampicin,
- Pyrazinamide &
- Ethambutol.
Multidrug-Resistant TB (MDR-TB)
- In MDR-TB, the bacteria that cause TB develop resistance to antimicrobial drugs used to cure the disease.
- MDR-TB does not respond to at least isoniazid and rifampicin, the 2 most powerful anti-TB drugs.
- Treatment options for MDR-TB are limited and expensive. CBNAAT (Cartridges Based Nucleic Acid Amplification Test) is used for early diagnosis of MDR-TB.
Extensively Drug-Resistant TB (XDR-TB)
- XDR-TB is a form of multidrug-resistant TB with additional resistance to more anti-TB drugs.
- People who are resistant to isoniazid and rifampicin, plus any fluoroquinolone and at least one of three injectable second-line drugs (amikacin, kanamycin, capreomycin) are said to have XDR-TB.
To achieve goal: To end TB by 2025
- India’s Initiative
- National Strategic Plan (NSP) for Tuberculosis Elimination (2017-2025)
- The Nikshay Ecosystem (National TB information system)
- Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY- financial support)
- TB Harega Desh Jeetega Campaign.
- Global Initiative:
- The WHO (World Health Organisation) has launched a joint initiative “Find. Treat. All. #EndTB” with the Global Fund and Stop TB Partnership.
- WHO also releases the Global Tuberculosis Report